And as the sands of time pass through the hour glass, one year has somehow passed since I’ve updated this blog. After a quick skim through last years photos for an update of the Tiny Cars in London, I am back in business…well, a year behind on updates and major events, but back in business nonetheless!
While my monthly traffic has slowed from a crawl to slow crawl, I am determined as ever to maintain this site for myself and myself alone.
So, off we go as usual, or at least after I fill in the blanks. A new chapter in running awaits.
Whether they’re near or far, we’re the product of the people we interact with most when it comes to our training. Friends and training partners are essential in bringing out the best in ourselves. In my next marathon in Duluth, I will be working directly with a former teammate and current friend to try to run sub-2:19, hopefully his first time doing so and my second. Through the build up, we will both be outlining our training and recording our daily runs side by side to emphasize the importance of teamwork and sharing ideas, and to express how people under different training plans and in different life situations can hopefully converge to accomplishing the same goal. To record Rory’s unique view on the process, I also hope to feature a few of his opinions on the daily training grind over the course of the next three months. In the meantime, see our daily training in my Training Log, and follow us over the next 12 weeks!
WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, YOUNG RORY:
If you know Rory, then you know that he’s……well, he’s Rory. Quite a character in his own right, he’s been one of my closest friends since he started making fun of my youthful appearance my freshman year of college at THE University of Texas. Through ups and downs, and a move to Houston and London, the close bond has remained over running, The Omelettry, and casual banter through social media. Now, I’m so pumped to tackle this marathon with the guy that I asked him to join the blog as Young Rory, and write a little bit about himself. While his “story” came in the form of exactly 23 text messages, I’m pretty sure I understand what he wants to say…he’s excited to be back.
After qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Trials with a half marathon PR of 1:04:52, Rory ran at the 2016 Olympic Trials in Las Vegas on an excruciatingly hot day that left a majority of the runners with a “DNF” next to their name. Rory was one of the finishers, but struggled through as most did with his first marathon finish in 2:35:53. While it was inconceivable to me that this might possibly remain his personal record, after a year or more of watching Rory enjoy the non-running life, I was convinced of his contentment with hanging up the spikes for good. I guess he had finally had enough of the good life, however, because about a year and a half ago he began the slow grind to get back into shape. As hard as it is to train for a 2:19 marathon, its been cool to see Rory come back from a long, self-imposed retirement from the sport, and to watch his passion return.
From Rory Himself…
“100 days until grandmas marathon and my shot at returning to the Olympic marathon trials…
If you would have asked me after finishing the 2016 Olympic marathon trials if would I ever run another competitive marathon my answer would have been “Never again”! After that race I attempted to regain my motivation to train and race, but it didn’t come back and before you know it I had stopped running completely for about a year. After many beers and good meals, and a few pounds heavier, I started the comeback but was sidelined with injuries that held me back for a few more months. Before you know it…one year had then become two.
In January of 2018 I began a much slower and more controlled build to regain fitness and get my body back. This journey has been more manageable with the guidance of my coach John Schrup, and over this last year I have run some respectable races and I feel like I am in a good spot to achieve my usual lofty goals. My body now feels about as good as it ever has and I finally feel ready, 3 years after my last competitive marathon, to not let the distance get the better of me again.
I’m excited to let you have a closer look inside my training as we get closer to the big day!”
While I was picking up and moving to London, it was hard to imagine the little things that I would ultimately miss about my Texas life. While this list grows daily, there are the obvious pain-points that continue to pop-up. Tex-mex, overly eager waitstaff, Topo Chico, and regular and predictable sunshine remain high on this list. However, as many would expect, its the people and communities in and out of the running world that I now miss the most.
Little Thing Number Two: Teammates
While it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with old networks in the age of the internet, I’m still having to actively seek out this sort of community to maintain a running network. Fortunately it’s worth it, as I’ve realized that teamwork and an open platform to share thoughts and ideas on training is an integral part to the sport of running, and a big component of daily motivation. Whether teammates serve to get you out the door on a rainy day, to encourage you to perform that extra recovery work, or to support you in your moments of failure, the accountability and excitement of knowing that another person is on your side, and has your back, is absolutely a 1-2% gainer.
As I head into the highest mileage portion of my next training block, I am relying on community to the utmost. Whether its Tuesdays at the Run-Fast track session, within a number of running centered Whatsapp groups, or the musings of The Omelettry Track Club, my current teammates and a collective of Olympic Trials hopefuls and college friends from Austin, TX, I will be leaning on people for the next 80 days to get me to the line in Duluth, MN. We all are in some way or another. Teammates help to keep us motivated through the ultimate lows of the cycle.
Grandmas Marathon
In Duluth, I am racing my 6th marathon and helping Young Rory, a close friend and Omelettry Track Club co-founder, to run sub 2:19 for the first time. We’re going to do this together, so for 100 days leading up to the race we will be tracking our running, side by side, while 1000s of miles away. Working directly with Rory, even from afar, will allow me to maintain a sense of community and motivation that is sometimes lost in this sport, especially at the amateur level. I already feel that I’m accountable to someone, and while he may not be waiting on me to show up to run in the morning, he’s counting on me as well to be there on race day.
I’m excited too to be working with Rory and the guys once again!
Do what you can to find your own teammates, old or new. Distance running is hard enough, but feeling as if you’re doing it alone can be unbearable.
Welcome to the Little Things series. While this is certainly the first little thing in the series, let’s not confuse this particular little thing with being either the littlest, or the biggest of the little things. It’s simply just one of an array of little thing. I have now said “Little Thing” enough to be annoyed with the phrase, and it’s only the first little thing. What a shame.
The Goal of Little Things
I want to take a step back and remember the goal of the little thing. Every little thing is going to help serve as a tether or anchor. These things are going to prop us up, and help make us more resilient in pursuit of our “Biggest Thing,” running around with our legs and feeling happy doing it. The theory is that yes, while practicing running is the best way to become the best runner, these little things will make us more resilient, enhance our running performance, and potentially even compound our overall fitness.
Little Thing Number 1: 10 Minute Core
10 Minutes a day (or every other day), makes the physio go away. Just a short, intense core routine every day can do wonders to improve supporting muscle activation and is a relatively low investment. Push it to every other day, and it’s hardly a chore at all. Do this while you’re watching TV, waiting on your significant other while shopping at the mall, on your lunch break at work, or while waiting for your number to be called at the DNV! Here’s what I personally focus on:
Abs / Sides / Back – 5 minutes
Glutes / Hamstrings – 3 minutes
Hips – 2 minutes
I have my own routine covering the above areas and may put up a video in the future outlining through what I do, but admit that I am not a certified trainer and can’t give advice on any athlete’s personal core needs / deficiencies. I only know as much as what I’ve picked up through training at university and independent research! So, experiment, think about what you may need based on your history of injuries or any advice you’ve received from physiotherapists, and remember that often less is more when first starting out.
Also remember that this is just one Little Thing intended to support your health, happiness, and goals in running. Don’t take it too seriously, and try to have fun integrating this into your fitness routine.
Marathons and the fitness we pursue to perform in them are mercurial.
We push ourselves so hard in training, but often to the detriment of our performance, injury, and ultimate anguish. I often feel as if my physical health is like bobbing for apples. The harder I try to get that apple, the faster it seems to float away. That’s the hilarity inherent in someone bobbing for apples, but the tragedy in marathoning. We end up getting hurt or burned out as we try too hard to obtain fitness while health gently floats away!
What specifically is our bobbing? Well, it’s the running of course! Chasing the miles…mile of trials and trials of miles. The 100 mile week, the long run, the intervals, tempos and fartleks. Rarely do we hear of a runner falling prey to too much recovering…too much nutrition, core work, or mental training. Running makes up the bulk of our training, as it should, but often to the detriment of the little things that help to support us through the longest and hardest training blocks.
So let’s focus on the little things this training block. I’m not claiming this is a ground breaking, newsworthy, or enlightened pursuit, it’s what everyone knows they should be doing! But, let’s actually prioritize them. The little things are so often the first to go in the pursuit of high mileage. The best runners, however, know that these are the essential in achieving the fitness that compounds as a result of being very good at most every aspect of marathoning rather than the best at just one aspect of marathoning. The best runners also have the most time to devote to the little things, but I think we can get by with a little diligence.
The Conclusion
In the pursuit of my next marathon, where my goals are to feel happy, healthy and strong both mentally and physically, I am prioritizing the little things. While I’m not ultimately sure how much mileage I will run during my build up, I WILL sacrifice mileage to fit in the little things if I have to.
I’m going to have a bi-weekly thought on the smallest things I’m doing to stay mentally sane, nutritionally supported, and strong as a buffalo. These are the 2% gains that we all want.
Hello all you Do Gooders! I am back, back into marathon mode and continuing on my mission to conquer the marathon via my mind.
I thought it was rather timely and convenient of the Citius Mag podcast to interview Alex Hutchinson directly after my Part II of the subject (earlier in 2018).
Alex Hutchinson, besides being a successful runner in his own right, is a writer for Runners World, an author of ‘Endure’, and manager of Sweat Science, which operates in conjunction with Outside Magazine. In an interview on Citius Mag Podcast, shown below, Alex discusses the importance of positive self-talk. Thank you Alex, as you are a much more credible source than I am in terms of promoting this overlooked aspect of the sport. Around 42:30 in the interview he notes, in response to a question regarding advice he would give to his younger self, that he would absolutely focus more on sport psychology (Check out the interview and his page).
Let’s think about running for a second…
Now stay with me. In Part 1 and Part 2 of this topic, I thought long and hard about the idea that by overcoming excess emotional thought during a marathon, you may be able to remove or reduce the occurrence of negative self-talk and mental fatigue. In the same vein, we can potentially theoretically work to increase the chance that we can fill the void with positive self-talk, rather than a complete and utter mental purgatory. I’ve had some success with both of these practices, but as we all do, I still tend to fall into thought over other things…like how much by lungs burn at mile 19! And in relation…my calves, my quads, arms, shoulders, etc. How can purposeful thought (either negative, neutral, or positive) be used to improve efficiencies?
Some circles will go as far as calling this mindfulness, which, as much of a buzzword as it is, is the direction we want to head. What I think is important to avoid, however, is being mindful of, like, the clouds, the street vendors, or the celebrities.
DO NOT BE DISTRACTED BY THE BEAUTIFUL CELEBRITIES!!
Which distractions are worth it?
Let’s bring back the Mountain Mode Man from Part 1…there he is, what a man! He’s about to climb a mountain (the marathon), and that’s exciting for us! In line with our mental meditation, where we’re smooth and effortless and without the burden of mental strain, we want to try to be as smooth and effortless as possible physically. This makes sense, intuitively, but again, how often do we make a practice of noting our strain and putting a bit of attention into resolving it. ON TO THE MINDFULNESS!
During my easy runs, I make it a habit of thinking about what my body is actually doing. I find it incredible how autonomous running becomes when you do it for hours a day, every day, and for years and years and years, but if we’re autonomously and habitually straining and wasting effort, then we may overlook that on a day to day basis. Here’s the process I go through:
Awareness:
How am I breathing? Is it smooth, is it rhythmic, and can I make it easier? When I race, I like to get my breathing into a 2 step : 1 breath rhythm, which makes me feel like I have better sense for the pace. Is there anything off, and can I just make it feel easier?
How are my arms swinging? Are my shoulders tight, are they down low or near my ears, are they rotating, and are my arms efficiently swinging near my hips? Coach Jeff used to just say the word “Arms” to me at the start of every run. Did I hate it? Yes…but can this become a massive inefficiency, absolutely. Thanks Coach Jeff for this life lesson.
How are my feet? Am I gripping with my toes, or am I just letting my foot roll naturally with the shoe, as designed?
How are my legs? Does anything feel tight, am I pulling from my quads, utilizing my glutes, or straining through my back?
How is everything else? Am I slouching or am I upright, are my hands clenched, are my god-damn ears wiggling uncontrollably!! It all matters!
Implementation:
I am admittedly neurotic about some aspects of running, but fixing simple inefficiencies seems to be an easy place to shave some seconds off, and every second counts. All runners will have a mix of good and bad regarding the above, so the goal should be to gain awareness of the strains where they exist. Imagine quantifying “strain.” Say 90% of the strain is natural marathon related strain from the steps accumulated after 20+ miles. Now, let’s say that 10% of the strain is related to inefficiency that you can actively work on. Under those conditions, if we improve our inefficiencies by 10%, then we can gain a 1% improvement in running economy. How much is this worth? Who knows…but every 1% matters, as is the goal of this blog. Gaining efficiency through minimal additional physical effort is how a semi-professional athlete with a busy work schedule will continue thrive.
An exercise to try: I’ll call it “forced relaxation” for now:
Lay on your back
Notice the level of general relaxation
Identify a specific muscle
Contract said muscle
And fully release the muscle
Repeat with every major muscle from your neck to your toes
This is called a progressive muscle relaxation, and ideally you’re more relaxed after this exercise than when you first took the position. We can do this when we run as well, or at least we’d like to.
While muscles will contract and lengthen together as designed, just take notice of each individual muscle. Try to progressively relax a muscle you think feels tight during the middle of your run, just as you could while lying on the floor. Does this have an effect on how you feel?
Practice:
Practice makes perfect…
Gaining a better awareness of my stride and how to control it is in itself part of my goal, but this, along with the process of relaxation is a work in process that is possibly never perfected.
Try it during your easy runs, for specific intervals in workouts, or the progressive muscle relaxation while hanging around. It may surprise you that something as obvious as relaxing your body is also easily achievable.
See if while you can maintain your pace and just float effortlessly for a 1 minute, completely relaxed and effortless. Try to make the tightness developing in your foot, your hip pain, or breathing just relax. Sometimes just being aware and making the decision is enough to have a noticeable impact in how you feel.
Conclusion
In Valencia and most recently in Barcelona, I focussed hard on re-relaxing my entire body after every single mile marker. Simply the act of momentarily dropping my shoulders, taking a deep breath, and relaxing my entire body seemed to make the next few minutes easier, which seemed to accumulate over the course of the race. Even if it just loosens the most surface level tensions, then I believe its worth the exercise and experimentation. These are the situations in which to think…
Easy days should be a joy. A stroll in the sun, a way to see the world and view life around you, a means of recovery, and with a general goal of getting in your mileage and time on your feet while preparing for the next hard day.
I do not do easy running. Not currently at least.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to recover. I love it! I love getting in mileage. I love preparing for the next hard day. Running is one of the best ways to tour a city and site see, which I take full advantage of! So sure, I love all of these things…but I have indeed strayed from easy run dogma in a number of ways.
I run my easy runs hard, and therefore am in need a good old fashioned “Slow down there kid” to set me straight.
“Slow down there kid”
What is a “Slow down there kid” and why would you need one of these?
Let’s just get one thing straight, a “Slow down there kid” is the equivalent of an *elderly, but firm gentleman with a strong arm*. He holds up his hand and places it gently on your shoulder, physically easing your pace down ever so slightly while calmly speaking, “Slow down there kid.” He’s concerned. He doesn’t even explain what he’s doing, but he doesn’t have to, because you know why he’s doing it. You don’t get a “slow down there kid” if unless you really need one.
*Find elderly gentleman at your own risk. Beware of his strong arm.
Who really needs a “Slow down there kid”?
Everyone needs a good old fashioned “Slow down there kid” every now and again, but you should really be the ultimate judge of when. You may need one when you’re not recovering, or when you’re on the verge of injury or illness. You may need one when you’re losing enthusiasm to get out the door, or when you have too much enthusiasm and find yourself sprinting up a hill in the middle of your easy days, or when you’re creeping into tempo territory on a Thursday recovery run. You might need one if you’re a slave to the watch and a slow mile makes you antsy, or if the thought of an easy run at 30 seconds slower than your normal pace incites worries of losing fitness.
I’ve found that I need a “Slow down there kid” in the following situations:
When I’m tired – This is a no brainer, you have to recover to run fast. For me, it simply takes a bit of intention and mindfulness to recognize that I need to take 30 seconds a mile off my easy run pace. Be honest with yourself, have you recovered as much as you want?
When I’m enthusiastic – There is absolutely a rationale behind crushing a run when you feel good, but distance running is a long-haul sport. When I feel good on an easy run, I often just try to enjoy that feeling and avoid the unending desire to grind myself into the dirt. Continuing to save for the quality days will most likely keep me healthy and on track.
When my scheduling is awry – If I miss a workout day, or have too many easy days in a row due to poor planning, I tend to crush my easy runs. While it may be beneficial to throw in a 10 x 1 min or some strides to supplement for a missed hard day, poor planning isn’t an excuse to run 6:00 miles day in and day out for multiple days in a row. I’m not losing any fitness. Note: I also run too fast when I’m literally running late for work.
Now that I’ve recognized my neurotic pacing tendencies – I have neurotic pacing tendencies. When I see a mile over 7:00, it makes me slightly concerned that I’m not working hard enough. This is just wrong. Running 7:10 versus 6:50 on an easy day isn’t going to break my season, but I’ve somehow developed this mindset. I call it neuroticism, but whatever it is, I consider it a detriment and a condition that prevents me from slow down.
To develop a more well-rounded running ability – I am testing a hypothesis that having the capacity to run slow, both physiologically and mentally, is a strength. Why wouldn’t you want to be comfortable running in all conditions, fast, slow, backwards, sideways? If I can run controlled at both 6:00 and 8:00, is this better than only being able to run comfortably between 6:00 and 6:50? By simply expanding your range of comfortable running paces, are you more well-rounded? Will this make you more mentally and physically comfortable going out at a slow pace at the start of a marathon? Maybe. And maybe more!
Conclusion
I see it as a weakness that I have a difficult time running slowly. Of course I plan on continuing to run fast, but I have a theory that running slowly at strategic times will enhance my range and ability to control myself both mentally and physically. It absolutely continue to allow me to recover and to enjoy my day to day running schedule (and therefore my life). I’m hoping that with a little practice, I can also reset my neurotic mindset that running slow = running badly. We all need a “Slow down there kid” every now and then, but right now I see myself as being particularly in that situation. Here’s to running easy, and…Slow down there kid.
I’m a city guy through and through. I do more wrangling of a late night street kebab then anything resembling cattle. I draw on my deep Texas roots for this analogy, however, in saying that I’ve fallen off a few horses. In this past marathon cycle I fell off of every horse I was on for both good and bad reasons. What is important, in my opinion, is not the critique of a lack of motivation, but the understanding of why, when we’re experiencing a relatively high level of success mid-training program, we can suddenly fall. The final question is then what we do, and whether it’s even important to get back on at all.
Dusting yourself off
I fell off the marathon horse the minute I crossed the line at the Barcelona half marathon. I was half-way through the London build, but sitting on the side of the road in Spain thinking, “Wow, that half-marathon was incredible, I could end my season right here.” My post about the race expressed my obvious enthusiasm as I compared this result to my 2:18:05 at Valencia. They meant the same to me, but in grossly different phases of two completely separate training programs, one falling at the end of a cycle and one in the middle. It’s dangerous for motivation to be mid-marathon build up with a built in excuse for not continuing to perform well. For me, after Barcelona, this happened to be that a 64:58 half marathon met my definition of a successful season, despite how I would ultimately perform in London. It’s obvious today that this was the turning point, but I am trying to determine how to recognize this in the future.
Are you on a horse?
Individuality should be taken into consideration, and some of the below are slightly obvious, but I know I’m on a horse when I’m doing most of the following:
Actively managing my mental state through meditation and self-talk
Sticking to my nutrition and experimenting with new supplements and meal plans
Feeling excited to run out the door in the morning
Engaging in social running behavior, i.e. seeking out running partners
Supplementing my running with strides, rolling, stretching, etc.
Dreaming of smashing my goal, running 2:15, or qualifying for the olympics
Looking back on these points, I was deep off the horse. I had somehow fallen and simply did not realize that I was on my ass, confused, and dusty from the fact that I was flat on the ground with my horse was standing above me. I was just off.
Given motivation exists on a spectrum, I found it difficult to see the slow degradation of my desires to run a fast marathon. They happened gradually, but before I knew it I was out of it completely. Some other small things I’ve noticed about myself include:
I tend to stall getting out the door for my long run, i.e., schedule a run for 10 and leave at noon.
I lose all interest in eating to support my training, or cutting out sugar, alcohol, and processed foods.
I catch myself in patterns of negative self talk and excuse myself for missing workouts or races.
I prioritize work and travel, and sacrifice running for other areas of life (I always try to keep these as balanced as possible).
I stay up later, and snooze through my early alarms.
In the end, we have to know ourselves and the signs that the inspiration has dried up.
for when you fall of a horse:
Ultimately, it’s easy to fall off a horse. The gravity and momentum of everyday life provide a bulk of the assistance, as does the running itself. It could be as much as one bad performance that acts as the final breaking point, or even a really good performance that serves as the overwhelming sense of achievement that you wanted for the entire cycle. For me, a strong half marathon performance contributed alot, though I also believe I impacted by the first real winter of my life (as I said…a Texas boy), a tough schedule at work, and the feeling of success of my prior marathon. No matter the reason, you only have two choices to make. After you pick yourself up and dust yourself off, you either attempt to get back on the horse, or you don’t. Plain and simple.
Truth and honesty is extremely important, so when I feel like I’ve fallen off a horse in the future, I plan on asking myself the following questions:
Why did I get on the horse in the first place? Did it in any way feel out of obligation?
How much longer do/did I plan on being on this horse? Does this seem like a time period you want to recommit to?
How does being on a horse now fit into my long term goals? Does this training cycle serve any specific purpose?
Am I enjoying being on a horse?
Who am I on this horse for? Is this for me and me alone?
Meb raced 26 incredible marathons, but this is an achievement that most can only dream of. Poor training, or training for the wrong reasons, can do real damage your mind and body, and a bad training experience can impact your relationship with the sport, either short or long-term, and even your relationships with friends, family, and co-workers. While most will encounter more than a few difficult spots in a training program, it’s important to take a step back and recognize when this is a temporary rough patch in motivation, and when it’s a sign that you need a break.
Be good to yourself. This sport lives on a very fine spectrum between Beauty and Brutality, and a reality that is too far shifted towards Brutality should be assessed. I’ve too often been afraid to take a step back and admit that this is not what I want at this moment in my life. If this is the case, in a fundamental, visceral way, pull the plug and save yourself. Take your two, three, four weeks off, reset the mind and the body, and get back at it. Sensibility has to prevail in a sport that breaks you down as much as this one.
Running is a brutal and beautiful sport. It’s hard to keep in mind that great moments rarely come without intermittent failures, that the pleasure of a race well run is never without the painful slog of miles, and that PRs are typically interspersed with mostly mediocre races. Happy to share my personal experiences with the sport and how I view certain experiences along the overall spectrum.
Brutality -> BEAUTY
The despair of week 8, 9, etc., of what appears to be a never ending injury
Watching the squad leave for the meet without you
Losing to a rival
The first step you take knowing your injured
Dropping out, and the torment of whether you should have kept going
Pre-race nerves
33 degrees and raining
The fear and uncertainty that remains at Mile 20
Being forced to miss a run as a neurotic person
The semesters you have early classes and have to workout on your own
The lingering, but manageable existence of plantar fascitis
Continual fatigue and just wanting to nap
The bore of a 24 mile long run
Post-work runs in the dark
Losing to a friend, and running poorly yourself
When you first realize that your heroes were cheating
Having to do the “little things”
The third-to-last interval
Muddying up your brand new running shoes
The part of the two weeks off when you really want to run again
Forgetting your shoes
Your last race for the high-school / college team
The satisfaction of the last day of practice before summer
Discovering a new route
The unspoken connection between the squad during a workout
Watching a friend run an incredible race
A firm foam roller
Hitting your exact goal mileage
A fresh pair of shoes
The dream of running a mile on an automatic sidewalk
A cool jug of chocolate milk
The summer mileage tan
Exploring a new city by foot
The excitement of the first day of practice
When you and your best friend both run a PR
The last few miles of a marathon, and knowing “you’ve got this”
Two weeks off
The wonder and awe you feel for the sport as a young runner
Pasta nights with the team
Running camp
The ability to “eat whatever you want”
Receiving anything running related for free
Running in the rain, and deciding you don’t care about being wet
Geeking out for the Olympics
The cool down after a great workout
Single-track trails through the woods
Recovery runs with the crew
Post-season parties and celebrations
Your first sub – 6:00 / 5:30 / 5:00 / 4:30 / 4:00 mile (we can dream)
Your first sub – 3:00 / 2:45 / 2:30 / 2:20 / 2:15 marathon (we can dream)
How many “sick days” does your running program allow?
Why do we allow ourselves a sick day from work, to recover and treat ourselves well, but fail to do the same during our training programs and other life endeavors?
I get 9 sick days per year at work, hence…hence! by the same logic (albeit very loose), given that my average training cycle is 4 months, I should receive at least 3 sick days per marathon cycle! At least! GIVE EM TO ME!
Take your sick days, because whether you just really don’t feel well physically, or you don’t feel fired up enough emotionally, some days aren’t worth pushing through. You may have some great opportunity to travel at an odd time, have a presentation at work, or want to subject yourself to Coachella. Allow yourself these days to enjoy those experiences and to not obsess about the mileage! On my latest trip to Edinburgh, when I only had 8 total hours of daylight, I decided only to run 13 miles instead of my prescribed 22. Sick day 1 is gone for me, and while I “only” ran 92 miles that week instead of 100+, I enjoyed exploring the city and felt like I used the most of my vacation and daylight! In all honesty, I still count the week as a 100 mile equivalent, but either way, that’s what I needed on that day to feel like a happy human being. In Paris, I just didn’t wanna. Didn’t wanna deal with the traffic, the rain, and the French pedestrians (baguettes everywhere), so I let myself off with a sickie. Let’s be honest, this sport is about making yourself feel miserable for a good portion of the time, there’s no way around that, but there’s also a line, as a semi-pro / amateur athlete, where the sport bleeds into your personal and professional life and, if toxic, begins to affect your quality of life. While I’ve discussed the ways in which we may want to integrate these lives, we want life as a runner, professional, and friend to be as seamless and intrusive-less as possible.
Allocate these days at the start of your training program and give yourself the permission to take them all. You can even write in your normal mileage, and allocate an “SD” for Sick Day next to the number (you know, for accounting purposes), or don’t, but give yourself the reward and potential placebo benefits of writing the “run” in your log. Then, instead of running, treat yourself well and recover even more.
There’s a time and a place for grinding it out, but there’s absolutely a time for treating yourself well, and 3 days out of a 120 day program, especially when allocated towards days that are supposed to be “recovery” days, will definitely not break your performance.
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